In some parts of North America re-cycling programs have begun using "blue boxes" for removal of recyclable materials from residential homes. These "blue boxes" are rectangular plastic containers having an open top and are enclosed on the bottom and four sides. The containers may have holes in the bottom for allowing liquids to escape. In their normal operating position, the blue boxes open upward. In this patent document the term "horizontal" means the plane perpendicular to this upward direction. Downward is the opposite direction to upward (that is, towards the bottom of the garbage container).
Typically, users of the recycling service place recyclable materials (glass, cardboard, plastic, metal) into the blue boxes and at intervals, for example once a week, the blue boxes are put out of the home for pick-up. The recyclable materials are often not sorted by the user of the service and therefore the materials are sorted, with consequent expense, by those picking up the recyclable material.
This invention provides a manner in which the recyclable materials may be readily sorted by the user. In one aspect the invention provides a frame adapted for installation in a blue box, and plural means for securing garbage bags on the frame and depending from the frame into the blue box (or other similar plastic garbage container).
Preferably the frame includes parallel rods from which upright members extend, and the upright members include notches for receiving and retaining handles of garbage bags. Other features of the invention will be described in the following. The frame may also be used independently of a rigid garbage container (such as a blue box), and if used on its own can make it unnecessary to use the container at all.